Saturday, August 16, 2008

Permatang Pauh : Nomination Day Chronicles

Source: Malaysiakini

PKR supporters dance in the middle of a sea of humanity to the beat of Indian drums. Picture courtesy of ANILNETTO.COM

Malaysiakini quoted "
8.15am Lim Guan Eng and DAP leaders arrive. There are multi-cultural performances at PKR's side, including traditional Chinese lion dance and Indian orami melum to greet supporters."


Chronicle of Event

9-10am
Candididates file nominations papers

10-11am
Objection period

11-12 noon
Returning officer to announce decision on objections filed

12.00 noon Crowds disperse in heavy downpour

11.45am Three-way contest it is! Returning officer Roslan Yahya announces a three-cornered fight for Permatang Pauh - PKR's Anwar Ibrahim, BN's Arif Shah Omar Shah and Akim's Hanafi Hamat. As expected, PKR's 'spare tyre' Dr Mansor Othman withdrew,

11.40am It is drawing near to a three-cornered fight bewteen BN, Pakatan and Akim. Dr Mansor is expected to withdraw his candidacy shortly.

11.15am It is now learnt that Akim candidate Hanafi Hamat is president of the party. Akim was formed in 1995 and had contested two seats, Pasir Mas and Kota Baru, in the 1999 general election but was defeated.

11am OBJECTION PERIOD OVER EC officials will now study the objections made - in this case only the three by the BN - and is expected to officially announce the contestants at 12 noon.

10.55am A slight tension arose when a BN supporter taunts Pakatan supporters by showing his back. The supporter was immediately ‘advised' by the police to stop his act.

At about the same time, some 40 FRU personnel placed themselves between BN and Pakatan supporters. They however left the scene after a while.

10.45am Nurul Izzah and sisters go to the field to meet supporters and were met with loud cheers.

10.40am BN submits three protest forms to the returning officer.

10.25am Permatang Pauh PKR election director Mustapha Kamal Yusuf confirms that Dr Mansor is a 'spare tyre' and will withdraw once Anwar's nomination is accepted. Under current election laws, a candidate can pull out three days after nomination. His name will not appear in the ballot paper but the RM10,000 deposit will be forfeited.

nik aziz10.23am PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat is said to be unwell and is sitting outside the centre near an ambulance. Anwar approaches the Kelantan Menteri Besar to have a word with him.

10.20am PKR veep Azmin Ali confirms that Dr Mansor is still a PKR member. According to Azmin, Mansor is the PKR election bureau deputy chief. Sources indicate that Mansor may withdraw his candidacy at the last minute.

10.10am Lim Guan Eng tells reporters outside nomination centre, "we have our candidate Anwar; whether we will complete this process of transformation will be determined by Permatang Pauh voters. They not only decide for themselves but for 27 million Malaysians."

10am NOMINATION PERIOD ENDS An hour-long protest period follows now.

9.55am Hanafi completes his nomination. Five more minutes for the end of nomination process

9.45am Hanafi submits papers as a Akim candidate.

9.40am Mansor's submission ends. He is on an independent ticket. Hanafi awaits his turn.

pematang pauh by election nomination day 160808 049.30am Independent candidate, former Penang PKR leader Dr Mansor Othman , enters nomination centre and readies to submit his papers

9.23am Potential Akim (Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia) candidate Hanafi Hamat, 61, arrives at nomination centre. Still uncertain whether he will submit his nomination paper. Akim is a PAS splinter group.

9.20am Outside, PKR suporters chant Saiful penipu, tangkap boleh boleh (Saiful is a liar, catch him). One group start calling, "Najib", another respond with "Altantuya".

9.15am Anwar submits nomination paper.

9.08am Anwar enters nomination centre with proposer and seconder after hugging Azizah, daughter and other PKR leaders.

9.05am 'I feel good', Anwar replies when asked by Malaysiakini how he felt about contesting again after 10 years in hiatus.

ariff shah omar shah9.03am Arif Shah Omar Shah submits his nomination paper.

9.00am Nomination is from 9am to 10am, followed by a one-hour objection period. If everything is in order, the returning officer will announce the names of candidates and declare that the by-election is on after the objection period.

8.50pm BN crowd start jeering liwat, tetap liwat (sodomise, still sodomise) while the bigger Pakatan group respond with loud cries of Reformasi.

8.40am Anwar Ibrahim arrives, accompanied by Dr Wan Azizah, Nurul Izzah and other key leaders, to the chants of Reformasi. Anwar was in light blue baju melayu. He is seen happily waving and chatting with supporters.

pematang pauh by election nomination day 160808 018.30am BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah, in yellow baju melayu, arrives. BN marchers were led by Najib, Mohd Ali Rustam, Hishamuddin Hussein, Samy Vellu, Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Liow Tiong Lai and others.

8.25am Pakatan supporters swell to 10,000. They virtually fill up the field allocated for them near the nomination centre.

8.15am Lim Guan Eng and DAP leaders arrive. There are multi-cultural performances at PKR's side, including traditional Chinese lion dance and Indian orami melum to greet supporters.

8.12am 60 FRU men stand guard at the entrance and inside the gates of nomination centre. The teachers training college (Maktab Penguruan Tuanku Bainun) looks like a fortress.

7.55am A BN car convoy, including DPM Najib's car, booed by Pakatan supporters when they enter through the Jalan Kubang Semang-Mengkuang designated for the opposition.

7.54am Supporters from the two camps enter via different routes. Nomination centre is located just outside the Butterworth-Kulim expressway. Orderly entrance seen at this stage, crowd seem well behaved.

pematang pauh by election nomination day 160808 027.45am BN and Pakatan supporters, estimated at 5,000, present. Pakatan crowd outnumber BN's. Some PKR people spotted with Anwar's masks. 'Harapan Baru untuk Malaysia' placards seen all over the Pakatan group.

7.37am Police helicopter hovering above. Road blocks, traffic jam. Supporters from both camps, carrying banners and flags, start to swell.

7.25am People start arriving at Maktab Penguruan Tuanku Bainun, the nomination centre. Heavy police presence sighted in and around the centre.





0 comments: